The Simpsons Preview

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We get our hands on Homer -- how's he doing?

By Levi Buchanan

Next week, Homer crashes into movie theaters with the release of the feature-length "The Simpsons" film. The blitz surrounding the movie -- the first "Simpsons" feature -- is at a fever pitch, including hundreds of themed products and the re-skinning of several 7-11 convenience stores as Kwik-E-Marts. Mobile is no exception. EA Mobile has prepped a wireless game to flank the movie (the console games will not ship until later this year), but it's actually not based on the film.

The mobile game, sub-titled Minutes to Meltdown, stars Homer in a desperate attempt to prevent a disaster at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Players must guide Homer through three missions, starting with one of the toughest jobs Homer has every day: Finding his car keys. Homer must scour his house, seeking out clues that help him remember where he dropped them the previous evening. The house looks exactly like the cartoon, right down to the brightly colored walls and the iconic couch.

During the game, Homer will encounter oodles of characters from Springfield. Of course, Bart and Marge make appearances, but Homer must also contend with Krusty, Mr. Burns, and Chief Wiggum. The game traffics in plenty of Simpson touches, such as replacing health packs with pink-frosted doughnuts and Buzz cola. The pet pig even puts in an appearance.

IGN Wireless will have a full review of the Simpsons mobile game next week, but the game is available for download now.